Seasick
by IntraSule
Summary: It's pretty hard for Tino to enjoy the cruise trip when he's throwing up every few seconds, and it becomes downright misery. Maybe Berwald can help him feel better? Happy birthday, Matt!


So, today is my friend Matt's birthday, user Finsu on here and AO3. I wrote this little story as a gift to him, and at first, I intended it to be FinSu smut, but I'm very descriptive when it comes to such writings, and I wanted to post this before his birthday was over. Maybe after the next FinSu smut I'm working on, I'll make a sexy version of this fic, who knows! And I also want to thank Yugi's Dead Sister and anon Tina V for the kind words! Yeah, whoever that finsu-hater was really needs to find a bridge that is their superiority complex and get over it, or however half of the expression I just used goes.

Anyways, sorry for the rushed fic, and happy birthday, Matt! \(OuO)/

Okay...so the boat ride was a bad idea, after all.

Ever since Tino and Berwald were gifted with two passes for a cruise trip to Italy, Tino has been bouncing around the house for half a month, trying to convince Berwald to take the cruise for their anniversary, getting Lukas and Mathias to babysit their sons and dog for the duration of the trip, packing up for the trips and securing their spots on it, and even making up the schedule of all the things they were going to do on the trip, especially the couples' activities that promised to help married couples reconnect and spice up their love lives (not that Tino and Berwald needed the help, but as long as there was a fun option, they were for it!) The idea of going out to that beautiful blue ocean on a big beautiful boat for a romantic trip like the Titanic- minus the sinking ship and deaths, hopefully- was surreal, and when the captain smashed the bottle against the hull of the S.S. Crystalla and Tino stepped foot onto the deck, Tino's heart was swept completely up by the magic of sea cruising. The magic didn't last long, though.

Tino never has been out at sea for as long as he can remember, so he never learned that he was easily seasick. It wasn't even a full day and already he was feeling ill. He couldn't tell what was making him feel so sick all of a sudden- the boat was going smoothly, the day was clear and sunny without even the slightest hint of a storm, the waters were as still as a large, rippling ocean can be- but every so often, Tino rushed to the nearest bathroom, grabbed any available bucket, and vomited all of his stomach's contents.

It's been three days out of the two-week retreat, and even though Tino didn't regret getting on the ship and definitely was not giving up on doing the fun stuff he wanted with his husband, he was not enjoying any of the vomiting that was making it hard to do anything.

Tino moaned and spat up the last bit of puke over the side of the ship. Gripping the rail he was leaning over, Tino pushed himself up and wiped away the goo dripping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes fixed dazedly onto the water's surface, and he was already feeling another heaving episode coming on, the way his stomach burned and tried to force up whatever's left inside his guts. "Oooh, god," he whined. He took a deep breath and quickly covered his mouth when he felt something bubble up in his throat, feeling a momentary relief when it was only a tiny after-vomit burp that came. Still, he felt woozy and had to bent down to rest his head on his arms. He closed his eyes, and couldn't bother to open them when a gentle hand patted his back.

"Yer stomach's at it again?"

Tino made a weak hum as a reply to his husband's low voice.

"Ah, 'kay then, here." He tapped something against Tino and Tino looked up from his head's resting place. Berwald held a plastic cup of water and a packet of pills out to Tino, and Tino took them. He ripped open the medicine packet and shook the two pills into his mouth as Berwald said, "Something told me that this was a bad idea, and I now see why." He shook his head. "Didn't know it was this, though."

"Uuugh, Berwald, don't say that," Tino said after he chugged down the water. "It's not all bad, I just get a little sick from time to time."

"You've been throwing up for three days straight; you don't even stop long enough to get any sleep. It's honestly a surprise that yer up right now, the way you had to keep gettin' outta bed to throw up in the bathroom at night."

"It's not that bad, I'm telling you!" Tino tried to convince him. "I just-" he stopped to cough, and only ruined his argument by hacking up a little spurt of yellow vomit over the side of the ship again, earning a couple of looks of disgust from nearby strollers and workers. Tino let out a little whine after and let the cup fall into the ocean.

Berwald rubbed comforting circles into Tino's back. He looked on with concern as Tino's shoulders started to quake, and whether it was because Tino was starting to cry or he was just too sick that it was getting worse, Berwald waited to find out after he tugged Tino away from the rail and guided him to their room. When they reached their destination, Tino dragged himself to their king-sized bed and flopped onto the cushion-like thick duvet. He squirmed up the mattress until he had his face buried in the plush pillows where he moaned and whined as loudly as he could without fearing anyone but Berwald hearing. Berwald stood by the door and sighed. This was terrible; as much as Berwald was against this cruising idea ever since they got the passes as presents because he always knew that bad things happened on ships, he still wanted to come to make Tino happy and have a good time with him as much as he can, but they were barely into the first week, and Tino was already feeling miserable.

Berwald watched his husband sink lower into the thick duvet and crossed the room to the bed. He sat down on the edge next to Tino and placed his hand on Tino's back to rub it again. Tino stirred under the touch and sighed in content.

"Oh, Berwald, who am I kidding? I feel disgusting."

Berwald nodded. "And nauseous?"

"Definitely nauseous."

Tino rolled his head to the side so he can look at Berwald. Berwald can feel his heart twist at the sight of Tino's face. Skin ashen, cheeks giving off a subtle green color, and lips cracked from the vomit that passed through them, the illness was eating away at him. But not as much as the disappointment at not enjoying the trip was, which was obvious with the redness of Tino's eyes and the tears peaking at the corners. Berwald stopped rubbing Tino's back and bit his bottom lip. The rubs were not going to work for this...

He looked up at their round window into the bright, clear scene of blue waters and marine wildlife living their day. He hesitated and looked back down at Tino, and suddenly struck with an idea, he turned around towards Tino. He moved into a lying position next to him and scooted closer until their bodies were touching. Tino settled into the arm wrapped around his shoulders. Berwald rested his face in Tino's hair and said softly, "Tino, how are you now?"

"Still sick, obviously," Tino murmured. He sighed, and it took Berwald some strength to not make a sound or move his nose away from the scent of vomit. Still, Tino did pick up on the slight nose scrunch and upturned corner of Berwald's lips, so he placed his face into the pillow again to spare Berwald his barf breath. "I wonder if I can just stay in bed for the rest of the trip. Maybe you can find something fun to do without me? It is a cruise, after all."

"Or maybe we can get ya used to the ocean, Tino," Berwald suggested. Tino gave a muffled hum in confusion, and Berwald wrapped his arm tighter around him. "It's the ship's motions that that're makin' you sick, right?"

Tino shrugged. "I don't know what it is. Could be the ship's rocking, or the ocean air, or the food they're serving here-"

"Then how about a soothing imagery? Would that work?"

"Berwald, how would that work?"

"Trust me on this, love." Berwald raised his head to take another look at the ocean. "Close your eyes."

"They are."

"Good, now try to imagine this with me." Berwald held onto the view of the ocean as he closed his eyes too. "Start by taking a deep, slow breath, to ebb away the tension from your body."

"I'm too sick to be tense, honey-"

"Tino, please."

Tino hesitated, but soon his back rose up and lowered slowly, and the hiss of breathing went through the pillow.

"Good, now another. Do you feel calm?"

"I feel something, and I don't think it's good. Oh, wait, nothing's coming up, nevermind."

"Well, that's good. Now focus on nothing but your body. Feel nothing but the relaxation of your limbs. Release any tension you have. Think of nothing but my voice and serenity."

"Berwald, I feel silly-"

"Come on now, Tino."

"Okay, okay! I think I'm calm, now..."

"Okay. Now imagine yourself on a soft cloud, floating in the sky. You're lying near the edge of the cloud, and you can see over everything. What you see is the blue, crystal-like surface of the ocean, stretching for miles and completely calm and still."

"Hmmm..."

"Although the water is rippling from the wind, it isn't moving. It isn't rising, it isn't pushing. Your cloud starts lowering to the ocean-"

"Oh, god."

"No, shh, 'sokay," Berwald started to rub Tino's back, but stopped himself. Tino had to be in the scene described to him, lacking of all senses in the present. "Your cloud floats down to the water, and stops just above it. Close up, you can see the white reflection of the sun sparkle in the water. The water is still, and you can feel it's coolness."

"I like the cool..."

"Mhm. You reach your fingers down and dip them into the cool water. The gentle wind pushes some of the water onto your arm-"

"Oh, god-"

"Just a little!" Berwald kicked him a little; he was never really good at this exercise. "It reaches up to your arm just a little, and little trickles sprinkle your arm. You cup the palm of your hand and take up some of the water, and let it run between your fingers. It runs smoothly back into the water, taking with it the tension, the illness, and fear. Slowly, your cloud raises back up to the sky, and the ocean seems to get smaller and further away..."

"Hmm..."

Berwald opened his eyes to watch Tino. He lied still in Berwald's arm. "Tino, how do you feel, now?"

"...Still sick."

"Oh." Berwald frowned, thinking back to his words to see where he went wrong. Maybe that was a bad idea.

"But that was really nice." Tino turned his face to Berwald and gave him a weak smile. The green color in his cheeks was going away, and his eyes, though sleepy-looking, twinkled with gratitude. "I do feel a little better."

"That's good," Berwald said.

"Yeah, but I think I need some sleep." Tino closed his eyes and smiled. "Maybe that would make me feel better. Get some rest and let the ocean lull me. The we will go... do somethin'..."

"Won't that make you sick again?"

"No, not this time, I think I'm fi..."

"Tino?" Berwald looked down Tino's face. He grinned at the still peace Tino had as he snored lightly. He placed a kiss on Tino's forehead and rubbed his shoulder, hoping that whatever Tino's dreaming of, it helped him calm enough to get over this sickness so they can enjoy this retreat like a couple really should.


End file.
